When it comes to developing the pieces of hardware, the process is not so simple. And, when it comes to printed circuit board (PCB) development efforts, the process becomes even more challenging. That's because PCBs are the launching points for hardware product development and the laminate and prepreg materials used in designing and manufacturing PCBs are the nuclei for those boards. (Prepreg is fiberglass cloth that has been saturated with resin that is not fully cured. As a PCB is placed under the heat and pressure of lamination this resin melts and flows into the voids in the adjacent copper layers filling them.)
Semiconductor chip technology has become so advanced that testing these highly complex devices must be performed effectively to ensure high reliability and functionality. This allows chipmakers to convey to their OEM customers their highest confidences that their products are of the foremost quality and have been verified to operate according to their specifications.
An automatic test equipment printed circuit board, or ATE PCB -- serving as an interface to a large test system -- is at the heart of all major test activities to verify a specific chip's functionality.